TNC 2003
Wireless Campus project
Coletta Elisa Marchioro - Marchioro@csp.it
[
Agenda
]
Wireless Campus network
Security
User mobility
Services
Open Source
2
[
Agenda
]
Wireless Campus network
Security
User mobility
Services
Open Source
3
[
Wireless Campus project
]
• Actors
– CSP: Italian ICT research centre
– Environment Park: Technology Park
• The mean idea is realizing a WLAN network as
– Real test-bed for research activities on WLAN technologies
– Experimental field for end-user services to prototype after R&D
results
• Why Technology Park
– Competence dissemination
– Promote the adoption of wireless technologies among local
communities and enterprises (SMEs, PA)
• Key issues
– State-of-the-art technology
– Multiple service scenarios
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[
The network
]
• Technology is 802.11b compliant
• Architecture includes
– Access points + centralized management server for network
infrastructure
– Security servers
– Add-on services devices (e.g. e-mail, multimedia, ecc.)
• Two phases for network deployment
– Phase 1
Access points, management server, security servers and base
services activation
– Phase 2
Advanced services and coverage extension plan according to Phase1
results
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[
]
RF coverage
RF signal
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[
Architecture
]
WLAN access network
WLAN management
Security
Service
centre
Shared services
Intranet services
CSP
Enviroment Park
SMEs
Wireless Campus extensions
External networks
(other hot-spots)
Telco
network
LABs
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[
Services
]
• Basic
– E-mail
– Web navigation – redirection to specific web pages
to promote initiatives and locate offices in the park
– Intranet access
• Advanced
– Video-surveillance from wireless webcams
– Instant messaging
– Presence services
– Streaming (radio, video)
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[
Issues
]
• A single network infrastructure providing
– Dedicated network access for some entities
– Shared environment in common places
• Services
– Targeted to different types of terminals (PDA, laptop, PC)
– Tailored on the user privileges (web access, intranet resources
availability)
• Challenges
– User mobility
– Security
– QoS
– Interoperability
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[
Agenda
]
Wireless Campus network
Security
User mobility
Services
Open Source
10
[
Security
]
• WEP
– Well known WEP vulnerabilities
– Just consider wardriving…
• 802.1x to provide
– strong and mutual authentication between users and WLAN elements
– access control and key management
• Wireless Campus
– actually with 802.1x clients on terminals
– later using Aps as clients towards RADIUS server
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[
Authentication
]
WLAN access network
Authentication management
Local Authentication
RADIUS
PROXY
CSP
RADIUS
Environment Park
RADIUS
SMEs
LABs
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[
Agenda
]
Wireless Campus network
Security
User mobility
Services
Open Source
13
[
Mobility
]
• From network perspective
– mobility among AP on the same WLAN
– seamless handover
– mobility among different WLAN
– planning to deploy Mobile IPv4 on some areas
– LAB activity on Mobile IPv6
• From service perspective
– Studies about user localization on WLAN
– Location Based Services
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[
User Localisation
]
• CSP and Politecnico of Turin cooperate investigating on WLAN mobile
user localization techniques
– Currently indoor coverage of WLAN can provide information about user
location on AP “Cell-id” : each access point is associated with a section
of the building
– Poor accuracy
– Localization can improve if the user is heard by a set of beacons, then
triangulation techniques can be used
– Hybrid solutions can be found combining different pieces of information
available for the communication interface
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[
WLAN and GPRS
]
• At present
– 802.11b client cards provided with SIM slot for GPRS connectivity
– Users can connect through WLAN under Wireless Campus hot-spot
coverage and through GPRS when away
• Next step: WLAN network connection to GPRS operator network
– User moves out of WLAN coverage and keeps connected to Wireless
Campus through GPRS
– Testing of WLAN-GPRS roaming features
– Authentication
– Services
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[
Authentication
]
WLAN access network
Authentication management
Local Authentication
RADIUS
proxy
RADIUS
CSP
RADIUS
Environment Park
SMEs
Remote Authentication (SIM)
GPRS
network
LABs
17
[
Agenda
]
Wireless Campus network
Security
User mobility
Services
Open Source
18
[
Services
]
• Multimedia services…
– VoIP
… and challenges

QoS

Adaptive coding
– Instant messaging

User location aware system
– Video multicasting

Optimized use of bandwidth

QoS
– Performance variable with
network conditions
– AP not aware of open
multicast sessions
– Videosurveillance systems
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[
Agenda
]
Wireless Campus network
Security
User mobility
Services
Open Source
20
[
Open Source
]
• Open source tools
– Useful to try and test new features as soon as they are
released through draft and proposals
– Modify operational model of devices for testing purposes or to
prototype new features
• Integration of open source with commercial systems as part of
interoperability studies
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[
]
Open Source tools
• Open access point (802.11b)
– A linux laptop or PC works as AP
– Drivers from open source project HostAP http://hostap.fi
– LAB activities:
– CSP and Politecnico di Torino project to work on QoS issues
– Access to low levels of the 802.11b interface to test efficacy
for LBS techniques
• Freeradius
– RADIUS server based on Open Source software
http://freeradius.org
• Open 802.1x client
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[
]
Thanks!
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[
]
Information
Center of Excellence for Research,
Development and Experimentation
of Advanced Computer Science
and Information Technologies
Via Livorno 60 - 10144 Torino [Italy]
Building A1lab
 +39 011- 481 5111
 +39 011- 481 5001
 Email: info@csp.it
www.inlab.csp.it
www.csp.it
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